More Than Mindfulness Keynote Speakers

October 5, 2018

Josette Luvmour, PhD and Ba Luvmour MA

Wisdom Based Relationships with Children

Education depends upon relationship. What kind of educational relationships facilitate the optimal opportunity for student’s self-knowledge? What is bi-directional development between teacher and student? Can we enter the child’s mind and heart? What is the way through conditioning to a relationship of presence? How can we support the inherent spiritual nature in the child and in us simultaneously? In celebrating education as a sacred art we will address these questions and many more. Transformation of ourselves and our society begins with us and the environment we create in the classroom and home. The payoff is nothing less than greater well-being in relationship with children, access to self-knowledge, deeper meaning, and wisdom.

Josette and Ba Luvmour have lived, studied, worked, and played together since 1979. They are each educators who started several Holistic education schools, a holistic learning center for families and children, and many whole-family immersion programs (in both California and Oregon).

Teachers of children and parents, they are also teachers of other teachers (undergrad and graduate master’s students)—many of whom went on to start their own schools in the USA and Canada using Natural Learning Relationships child development and holistic approaches in their teaching practice. They founded two non-profit organizations which have been dedicated to awakening the greatness in humanity.

Together, Josette Luvmour, PhD and Ba Luvmour, MA co-created and developed Natural Learning Relationships – a holistic understanding of child development that supports optimal well-being in children and families. Natural Learning Relationships was the basis and philosophical foundation of the schools, learning center, programs they founded, and in their published work of six print books, five eBooks, magazine and journal articles. They produce and host the popular podcast series, Meetings with Remarkable Educators.

Josette and Ba are continually inspired by all those who learn with children and Grow Together to access greater self-knowledge, wel-being and ultimately access wisdom.

They currently reside in Portland, Oregon.

October 6, 2018

Aostre Johnson, Ed.D.

What is Spiritual Development? Twelve Dimensions and Educational Possibilities

Keynote information:

What is spiritual development? What are the various forms that spiritual education can take? It is difficult for educators to agree, due to varied beliefs about the meaning of “spirituality.” Based on decades of qualitative and theoretical research, I suggest twelve underlying interrelated dimensions of spiritual development that offer a foundation for educating young people.

Each includes various human capabilities and has a distinctive developmental trajectory. This talk will provide a framework for participants to examine, clarify, and possibly expand their own current approaches to spiritual parenting and teaching.

Bio:

Aostre Johnson, is the founder of Rainbow Community School, an educational consultant and Professor of Emeritus of Education at Saint Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont. There, she founded and directed the master’s programs concentrations in Curriculum and in Integrating the Arts into Education.

She also taught/teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in child and adolescent development, early childhood education, curriculum theory and practice, integrative curriculum, spirituality and education and mindfulness education. She has published articles, co-edited several books and given many conference presentations relating to spiritual, contemplative, and creative development and education.

In 2013 she spent six months in Ireland as a Fulbright Scholar researching contemplative education in Irish schools, and in 2017, she was a visiting Professor of Holistic and Contemplative Education at Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan. She has given invited talks /consultations in many other countries, including Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Greece, Northern Ireland and Malta.

She previously founded, directed and taught in early childhood schools in Massachusetts, New York, and North Carolina. She received her B.A. from Harvard University, her M.Ed. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and her Ed.D. from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Currently, she is learning much about development and education from her two year old granddaughter.